A/N: Sometimes it can seem like I hate Roderich, but the opposite is actually true. I love SpaAus (honestly, I think it's my favourite ship after Spamano). But I also see it as doomed from the start. I don't know why, exactly, but Toni and Roddy seem compatible in a very tragic way. Somehow I don't see it working out at all.

Just putting that out there.


The date sucked.

The date with Alfred, that is.

As Antonio put on a clean shirt and did his hair in the mirror, he actually didn't feel like going. Part of him almost reached out to cancel the date, but that was rude, and Alfred was probably looking forward to it. Conflicts upon conflicts swelled Antonio's stomach. Both he and Francis were worried about Gilbert. They'd left him with his family for now, but it still felt somehow cruel to be going on a date a bit after your best friend lost their father.

There was also the matter of Roderich, which made Antonio's head spin. Roderich was going to be out late again, so it wasn't like Antonio was worried he might interrupt. Still, on some level, Toni felt a bit…dirty, to be agreeing to a date like this. He was still committed, right? Sure, his boyfriend was a jerk, but wasn't this the time he was supposed to 'be the bigger man' or whatever?

And then there was Lovino…and Antonio was being an ass to him. This wasn't how Antonio usually was. He never saw himself as someone who would just string a person along. What was wrong with him?

He met Alfred in the park. He looked exactly like his Tinder pictures. Antonio was slightly miffed that Alfred was only wearing a stupid Iron Man hoodie and jeans – Antonio had actually dressed up and gelled his hair, for heaven's sake. Effort mattered!

And Alfred chatted a lot. Which was a bit unnerving because usually, Antonio was the talkative one. But that was fine. The big 'surprise' Alfred had planned was exactly what Antonio had expected: a movie (a lame action flick) and then Starbucks.

Alfred gulped his second shot of espresso when Antonio saw him pale, and he lowered his cup.

"Are you all right?" he'd asked.

"Shit," Alfred muttered, looking into the distance. Antonio followed his gaze.

Sitting in a corner booth were a male couple. An Asian guy and a blonde haired – "wait, is that Arthur?" Antonio blurted.

"Who?" Alfred narrowed his eyes, glaring at Antonio. "That's his name?"

"Uh, yeah. He's a coworker. Real asshole."

"He's with my ex-boyfriend. Shit. That's Kiku. Oh my god. I can't be seen here."

Evidently, Kiku and Arthur seemed in the midst of a deep conversation, both of the leaning towards each other, eyes meeting, their coffees untouched.

"If we get up now, they'll spot us," Antonio reminded, staring melancholically into his cappuccino. He didn't exactly want Arthur to see him either. Kirkland had a way of ruining Antonio's existence with the very air he breathed. Besides, he really didn't want his nemesis to know he was on a date, because of course Arthur – and everyone at work – knew Antonio and Roderich were a thing.

Alfred's hands curled up, and he turned back to the table. Then he took a sachet of sugar and started tearing it for no reason, glaring at its contents as it fell.

"Kiku and I were living together and we were really close and then everything went to hell and we only broke up recently. What's he doing, already dating?"

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing on a date, then?"

"Trying to get over him."

"Nice to know this is a rebound."

Alfred sighed, dropping the sachet on the table. "I'm sorry." His blue eyes met Antonio, and they looked full of remorse. "I just don't know what to do. I know neither of us have been having a lot of fun right now…I've been chatting about rubbish the whole time, I guess because silence drives me mad and I'm just…sad."

Antonio's eyes wandered towards Kiku and Arthur. "Mmh, yeah. I mean, if we're confessing, I only agreed to this date to spite my boyfriend. And because I felt too rude to say no."

"You have a boyfriend?"

"Roderich, yeah. He's cheating on me."

Alfred grimaced. "Break up with him. Immediately."

"I know." Antonio stirred his cappuccino. "But it's complicated. I mean, my lease is about to expire and Roderich asked me to move in with him because hell, I can't afford another place right now…eh. If I break up, I'll be pretty much homeless."

Alfred's eyes widened. "Don't you have friends that can take you in?"

"My best friend's dad just passed away, I really don't want to burden him further." Staying with Francis was an option, perhaps, but still, something held Antonio back from asking. He just…he really didn't want to be so much trouble. Right now, they just had to be there for Gilbert.

"Ouch. What are you going to do?"

"Who even knows. What happened between you and Kiku?"

Alfred let out a small, sad laugh. "Both of us worked too much…we had some fights…"

"You obviously still love him."

"Whatever," Alfred muttered drumming his fingers on the table. "Is Arthur a bad guy? I don't want Kiku to get hurt…"

Taking a sip of his coffee, Antonio watched Arthur for another minute. "He won't hurt people. We're just…nemeses."

"A grown man isn't supposed to have a nemesis."

Antonio scrunched his nose up like a child and stuck his tongue out at Alfred. "Well, I do. Anyway, it's stupid. I don't even know how it started, but we just kind of compete with everything."

"Don't you drive an Uber?"

"Yeah."

"What do Uber drivers compete about?"

Antonio really didn't like the tone people used sometimes when they found out his job. It paid the bills. And he was trying to save up for art school. There was nothing wrong with driving a cab. It didn't make him inferior to anyone!

Narrowing his eyes, Antonio replied, "Nothing important." He and Arthur usually tried to outdo each other in the number of customers they received. How good their cars were. How good the wifi in their cars were. Just because it was silly didn't mean it wasn't intense.

"They're leaving," Alfred exclaimed with a soft, relieved sigh. The two of them watched Kiku and Arthur exit the Starbucks. Antonio waited a few beats, then stood up too.

"I should get going."

"I can drop you home."

"No, I'm fine." He forced a smile. "This has been fun."

"It hasn't, really." Alfred stood up too.

"No, not really." Running a hand through his hair (and essentially ruining his gelled style), Antonio added, "Sorry. I guess neither of us are really in the right head space, huh?"

"Not exactly."

"Good luck with things," Antonio replied.

"You too."


You have 4 unread messages

Roderich: don't wait up for me :)

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Francis: hey toni! Bad news! The caterers I'd hired for the funeral cancelled on us so we're gonna need new ones pronto! Any ideas? It needs to be good food, not just stupid finger food rubbish

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Lovino: motherfucking shit stupid customer returned my pizza! Said my sauce wasn't 'authentic italian'! I'LL SHOVE MY AUTHENTIC ITALIAN LEATHER SHOE UP HIS ASS!

Lovino: sorry about that, I had to vent. Anyway how are you today, you've been quiet


A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had a hard time writing lately and it's been quite depressing. I hope I can get back into the groove soon…

Thanks for reading :) Please review!